68 midwives trained on best practices to improve maternal healthcare

Mothers at the maternal ward at St Marys Mission Hospital. [David Gichuru, Standard]

At least 68 midwives in Murang’a County have undergone additional training to improve maternal health care in local health facilities.

The training was undertaken by Jacaranda Health, a NGO that has so far trained over 745 nurses and midwives in 21 counties.

Jacaranda Health deputy country director Job Makoyo said the training has given the health workers new skills on how to handle mothers and their newborns.

Makoyo, spoke in Murang’a during the graduation of the health workers after completing a six months training, noted that county was recording so many maternal deaths, at 357 per every 1,000 deliveries.

“However, we are glad to report that the situation has improved following intensive training of the health workers in the country,” Dr Makoyo said.

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County health minister Fredrick Mbugua noted that most maternal deaths (90 per cent) are preventable. “That is why training health workers was a crucial first step,” he said.

"It is a major milestone to have 68 midwives from 18 facilities in the county trained on how to handle mothers and newborn babies during birth," Dr Mbugua said.

The health CEC added: “The training has reduced maternal deaths in the county. Last year, we had 14 maternal deaths in Murang’a County as compared to 19 in 2017. And there were two years that the county registered zero maternal deaths.”

Mr Mohammed Habulle, an official from the Ministry of Health’s Department of Reproductive Health said there is need for trained health workers to mentor other staff in their facilities.

He said many of the deaths are caused by the delays in attending to patients.

“There are instances where mothers die after they are blocked from entering the facilities by the watchmen at the gates. It's high time the watchmen are educated on the rights of patients,” said Mohammed.